Across the Hill: The congressional research service and providing research for congress—A retrospective on origins

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) of today is a 1970 extension of the Legislative Reference Service, which was initially established through the appropriations process in 1914 and statutorily given permanent, institutional status in 1946. Throughout their existence, these entities have been, in varying degrees, part of the Library of Congress, which, itself, dates to the arrival of the federal government in the new capital in 1800. Provided here is a retrospective on these organizations—their origins, structural development, changing missions, and, in the case of the CRS, its current operational status.